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Who we are ADAS was established in 1987 as a response to concerns within the Harlow community about the lack of facilities for the treatment of alcohol and drug dependency problems. We provide support across the whole of West Essex, from Saffron Walden in the North to Waltham Abbey in the South. The need for our services in West Essex remains high: the number of people we support has more than doubled over the past 13 years, from 200 clients per year in 2003 to 500 in 2016. ADAS is made up of a team of over 60 staff and volunteers. We have three full time members of staff our Chief Executive, Service Manager and Volunteer and Training Manager. ADAS also has seven part-time staff including; a senior therapist, family therapist, two child play therapists, two A&E Alcohol Health workers based at the local hospital and a part-time administrator. In addition we have two administration volunteers and a project worker. Issue we are facing Our work is needed now, as much as ever. The hospital admissions for the immediate area we serve are already way above the average for the East of England. In Harlow there are worrying levels of binge drinking, high levels of hospital admissions due to alcohol use and too many young people engaging in harmful drinking. The low cost of alcohol and easy access, particularly for young people, means that residents in Harlow are becoming increasingly involved in hazardous drinking: • Harlow is also the only district in Essex where the rate of hospital admissions related to alcohol use is significantly higher than the national average, with 2,380 per 100,000 admissions being related to alcohol every year. • Almost a quarter of the Harlow population report binge drinking on a regular basis, while 3.6% of the population is drinking at dependent levels. Binge drinking is highest in West and Mid Essex. • Alcohol misuse can contribute to criminal behaviour: Harlow has the highest alcohol related crime rate in Essex. • 53% of Violent crimes are alcohol-related: British Crime Survey 2013/14 • Domestic abuse research typically finds that between 25% and 50% of perpetrators have been drinking at the time of in some studies the figure is as high as 73% • 1000 young people under the age of 15 are admitted to hospital each year with acute alcohol poisoning. All need emergency treatment and some die. Such hazardous drinking increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, cirrhosis, poor mental health, unemployment, social isolation, accidental injury and death. Alcohol is a major cause of deaths from Liver disease in England. Over the last decade there has been a 25% increase in alcohol-related liver disease. Overall, alcohol misuse is a factor present in 37% of Liver disease deaths. Figures also show that victims of liver disease are getting younger with more than one in ten deaths of people in their forties cause by liver disease with most of them alcohol-related. Nationally, the impact of alcohol misuse on health, crime and society is estimated to cost nearly £20bn a year. In Essex the cost is approximately £430m per year. ADAS is committed to supporting people in Harlow and West Essex to ensure that alcohol abuse does not damage the local community. Against this backdrop of great need, is an increasing squeeze on budgets and the services that we can provide. What we do Individuals • We are dedicated to helping people break the destructive cycle of dependency to alcohol and supporting individuals to move into, and sustain, their recovery. • We help clients to safely reduce their alcohol intake through providing therapeutic input. • We offer a range of services including, individual counselling, one to one motivational support work, crisis interventions, group work, and we also provide direct support within the local hospital. ADAS delivers an extensive aftercare and recovery activities programme including: a ten-week course dealing with stress, anxiety and anger management; a recovery support group; and a self-esteem group. We also host four AA meetings every week and work to raise awareness of the effects of alcohol addiction in the community. Child and Family Work ADAS was one of the first substance misuse services in the UK to recognise the need for a specialist service for children who live, or have lived with, a parent who has difficulties with alcohol and/or drugs. Since setting up the Child and Family Support Service, we have seen a wide range of cases and witnessed first-hand the destructive impact alcoholism can have on family life. ADAS' Child and Family Team currently deliver children’s play therapy for children under the age of 13 and family and couple therapy. We work with around 40 children every year. Dr Sharma, a local addiction psychiatrist commented: “ADAS also runs a child and family service which is like gold dust. It is delivering some vital, evidence-based success which needs to be championed.” Our service caters for all clients at all stages of their journey from dependency through to recovery. However, to do this, we need to seek additional funding due to 20% increase in our rent over the next four years and a 10% cut in our funding. Without this it will be a challenge to maintain the vital support we provide to the community and relief we give to NHS services by being able to stop both directly and indirectly related alcohol issues The Government stated in their 2010 to 2015 policy: ‘harmful drinking’ that everyone has a role to play in reducing the harmful use of alcohol, and this is what ADAS will continue to do.

Recipient Org: Web Address

http://www.adasuk.org

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Alternate Recipient Name

The West Essex Alcohol and Drugs Service

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